The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1887-09-09
Mo- 80
Carrier Pigeons for War.

The Germans were among the first to
establish military pigeon lofts, and
their system is now the most complete
in Europe. The larger fortresses, like
Metz. Cologne and Strasbourg, each
have from four hundred to six hundred
well trained birds: and the annual vote
of credit for pigeon purposes III the
military budget is eight thousand live
hundred dollars. The commandant OF
the place is responsible for the birds
being properly cared for and trained,
and they are in charge of Il non-com-
missioned officer. who has under HIM
two private soldiers and keeper. Re
gisters are kept giving full particulars
concerning all the birds-the numbers
stamped on them, their age, sex, color.
distinguishing marks, and the different
marks. and the different places from
which each has flown, together with
notes on their rapidity and reliability.
Among the fortresses which were early
stocked with birds were those near the
Russian frontier-Posen, Thorn and
Konigsberg; and others were gradually
attended to, until at the present time
it NAV be said that every part OF the
country is in communication, either
directly or indirectly, with the capital
by means of pigeons. The northern
coast is. in fact, studded with lofts, they
having been established at Tonnlng,
Dantzig, Stetin and Kiel. On the
western frontier Cologne is in direct
communication with Berlin, il distance
of three hundred miles, and is trans
mitting station for Metz and Mayence.
strasbourg and Metz also communicate
with the capital through Wurzburg.
In France the vote of credit for the
pigeon lofts is twenty thousand dollars.
Ten stations have birds trained from
Paris. and important towns ut great
distances communicate with the capl-
tai bv intermediate station. Thus
LYONS transmits to Paris by way OF
Lanores. which likewise communicates
with Marseilles and Pepignan. The
military authorities have power to re-
o1isitlon all lofts of trained pigeons,
belonging to private persons, and
census is regularly made of their num-
Der. The census taken last year showed
that in Paris alone there were twenty
five hundred birds available, Of which
one thousand seven hundred and eighty
had been we'll trained, and might be
relied upon as likely to ''home." Were
Paris. therefore, ever again III danger
of being besieged, these, together with
the birds kept at the various outside
stations about Grenoble, the Pyrenees,
the Alps, and the important towns III
| the north and south of the country,
would form il means of communicating
with the armies outside that might play
an important part in turning the tide
of the compaign.
Russia has recently voted sum OF
twenty thousand dollars for the NAM
tenance ofmilitary pigeon lofts, it being
thought that in Afghanistan and other
distant parts pigeons might, under cer-
tain circumstances, be the best means
of securing the maintenance OF commu-
| nication. The Austrian authorities ap-
| preciate the usefulness of these messen-
GERS in mountain districts, and at the
present time they have under consider
alton the question of establishing pl-
geon lofts, in order to secure rapid
| communication between the tortresses
| of the frontier and the mountain passes.